Tales of Long Ago
by the-Bermuda-triangle
Summary: Chihiro is a ten year old girl when she moves to a new town. This town has secrets, and she's going to get to the bottom of it. (This is an AU and does not follow the story line of Spirited Away. Please be kind to me...I'll update when I can. HIATUS)
1. Chapter 1: A New Town

**Hi, I'm Red and this is my second fanfic (I sorta gave up on the first one and deleted it) so it won't be that good. **

**This story is an AU, where Chihiro moves into a town full of weirdos. Everyone is human except for Haku, Yu-bird, and No Face (Naturally). If you read the summary, you would understand. This does not follow the plot of Spirited Away, but I thought this would be nice since the ending was so unsatisfying. Please enjoy, and review! Also, tell me if there are any errors.**

Chapter One: A New Town

Watching buildings and trees pass by, Chihiro sat with her knees to her chest. She had a bouquet of pink flowers in her arms, a card stuffed between blossoms. Her parents were chatting up front about the new town they were going to—a small, quaint place with a nice view of the river nearby. Seishin was the name of the town, and Chihiro personally thought it was ridiculous.

She set the flowers on the seat next to her, watching as the buildings and highways disappeared. Shrines and fields replaced the urban scenery. Were they really going to the middle of nowhere? Chihiro thought back to what her friends told her about where she was going:

_"Eh? You're moving to Seishin? You do know the rumors about that place, right?" one of the boys in her class spoke up, a grin on his face. _

_ Chihiro simply shook her head. She hadn't been many places and didn't talk to many people about places. _

_ "It's cursed!" Someone else spoke. _

_ "I heard that a dragon lives in the river and it'll gobble you up if you don't pray to it."_

_ "Really? I heard that a monster called No Face lives in the forest. He lures people in with what they want the most, and eats them!"_

_ "My mom told me that a bird with the head of a hag will swoop down to pick you up!"_

_ As her classmates told their take on the legends of the town, Chihiro had a sinking feeling in her chest. Was it all true?_

"Chihiro, honey, we're here," her mother said, getting her attention. She got out of the car, not noticing that it had stopped. She stood in front of a dark blue house, a moving van already working to get the furniture in the house. Chihiro glanced at the other houses around her, and pouted. She didn't like it already.

"It's pretty big. We'll have to hire someone to clean it. We'll be so busy," said her father, already taking a few bags out from the trunk. "Chihiro, why don't you go find a place to play while we unpack?"

And with that, Chihiro was walking down a dirt path through the forest near her house. A sign read "To Kohaku River" and stood at the beginning of the path. She was curious, so decided that would be where she would go.

Now if her parents were responsible, they wouldn't have let their ten year old daughter walk around a new town on her own. But they weren't responsible, were they?

Chihiro just barely heard running water, the smell of fresh flowers tweeking her nose. She followed the scent, s small smile on her face. She loved fresh flowers. But as she neared the river, the smell got unusually strong. Soon, she was surrounded by bushes and rows of blooming, colorful flowers. An old woman hummed as she tilled some soil in a bare row.

For Chihiro, this was all new. She had grown up in a city, far away from any running rivers or fields of flowers. The old woman noticed her, a smile on her face still. Chihiro noticed a rather large wart in the center of her forehead and the woman's large nose.

"Well what do we have here? A new child in Seishin? What a rare occurrence!" The woman came up to her, only about a head or two taller than Chihiro herself. "What's you're name, child? Did you come to see the river?"

A lump caught in her throat. Why was she scared? Maybe it was the way the woman looked. But slowly, she spoke up and said, "Chihiro, my name is Chihiro Ogino." She let out a stiff breath.

"Chihiro? What a pretty name! Well, Chihiro, welcome to my garden. The river is just down this row." The woman led her to the waters edge. Crisp, clear water ran across pebbles and stones. It was beautiful.

"Excuse me, ma'am…Who are you?" She felt a bit out of place in such a wonderful place. The garden ended just ten feet from the edge of the water, but the smell of spring flowers was still strong.

"I'm Zeniba. Don't confuse me for my twin sister that lives in town. I'm the kinder one." She chuckled a bit. "Maybe if you look closely, you'll see the spirit of the river." Chihiro's eyes widened.

She didn't want to see any spirit of any sort. "No thank you, ma'am. I'm not up to seeing spirits today."

"Are you sure? I'm sure he would love you. All the kids in town stay far away from the river. He needs someone his age to relate to." Zeniba placed a hand on Chihiro's shoulder, her head jerking to the forest. "You might want to get back soon. It'll be sunset soon, and few know what stirs in this forest at night."

As Chihiro hiked through the forest, she though back to the words Zeniba had spoken: _"It'll be sunset soon, and few know what stirs in this forest at night." _The sentence made her shiver from head to toe. Was there something dangerous in this forest? She didn't want to stick around to find out.

A rustling of leaves caught her attention. It came from behind her, so she turned around. All that she saw was trees and the dirt path. She turned to face forward, wanting to get home as soon as she could. That was when she saw him. Well, more like she came face to face with him.

The sight of a person in the forest other than herself made her yelp, her legs instinctively causing her to jump back. A boy stood in front of her. He was about her age, with black hair (that strangely had a tint of green) in a bob. He wore a white kimono with blue trousers, a purple sash tied around his waist. Chihiro had never seen anyone dress in such a way.

As she opened her mouth to say something, she noticed the look in his green eyes. He was shocked. He beat her to speaking, "What are you doing here?"

Chihiro simply didn't know how to answer.


	2. Chapter 2: The Boy in the Forest

** Yes, it's me again. I decided since I have school off that I would update this. Sorry if the last chapter wasn't satisfying. It's kinda like—oh I don't know—the ending of Spirited Away?**

** I'll make this chapter longer I swears. Please review~**

Chapter 2: The Boy in the Forest

"What do you mean? I'm trying to get home." Chihiro chimed, a bit nervous around a boy. She was used to be around boys, but this one had an unearthly glow to him that made her stomach queasy and her heart flutter. "I should be asking you the same thing."

The boy stared at her with a stoic expression, not entirely sure he should be talking to her. "Just leave already, then. You're stinking up the whole place." Chihiro was hurt. She didn't stink, did she? After a few hours in a car, sweat can work its magic on you…

With her cheeks puffed out, Chihiro pushed past him. She was mad. "Fine! I'll leave! I hope that monster eats you!" Now Chihiro's parents had told her not to wish bad things upon another person, but she was just trying to stand up for herself. She never had much luck with boys, especially attractive ones. It must be bad luck.

The boy stared at her as she walked past—correction, stomped past. He balled his hands into fists, then ran up to her, grabbing her hand. "Wait! You're going the wrong way."

Chihiro ignored him, biting her lip to hold in tears. Why was she crying? She was forced to move to a new town, her parents told her to stay out of their way for awhile, and this boy was being a total jerk. She had something to cry about. Her chin trembling, she turned to look at the boy with shiny eyes.

"Don't touch me."

* * *

Chihiro lay on her bed, half asleep and half dead. She was worn out. She had such a magical day with flowers and Ms. Zeniba. Then that boy came along...

That boy…What did he say his name was again?

* * *

_ "You can't stay long here. The forest changes at night. Come on, Chihiro." How had he known her name? She was sure she hadn't said it, 100% sure. He still had hold of her hand as they ran down the dirt path. He was right about her going in the wrong direction—as they ran the way they were supposed to go, Chihiro could smell the scent of flowers becoming more faint. With every step, she heard less of the running water. It made her sad, but she knew it was for the best. Her parents were probably worried about her. _

_ She began to breathe heavier as the ran, her hair sticking to sweat that formed on her forehead. The back of her throat cried for water, and the top of her tongue felt rough. She was dehydrated, and she didn't care. For now, all she could focus on was how cold this boy's hand was. It was like he had been in the snow without gloves on. It was oddly refreshing as they ran, cooling down at least one part of her body. _

_ Soon, she saw the roofs of house, causing the boy to halt. Chihiro fell to her knees, her body still thinking she should be running. She wrapped her hands around her neck, a bit too dramatic for the situation, and gasped for air. "W-Water, please..." She cried out, licking her dry lips with a dry tongue. The boy took a water bottle out of his kimono. It wasn't plastic like she was used to seeing. It was flexible and soft, almost like cloth. But cloth couldn't hold water in, could it? She decided not to question and drank. _

_ "This is as far as I can take you. I'm sorry I couldn't do more." He seemed disappointed in himself. Chihiro thought he was the nicest person in the world right now. She placed the water bottle back in his hands and smiled. _

_ "No, you did good...um...name?" She tilted her head in curiosity. She really wanted to know now. The idea of him being a jerk was gone, except for the part about her having to run. _

_ He replied with a smile, a nice one. "You can call me Haku, Chihiro."_

* * *

She had totally forgot to ask how he knew her name. He had probably been eavesdropping on the conversation she had with Zeniba. She didn't want to believe the legends about this place.

"Chihiro, dinner's ready!" Her mother called her down, making Chihiro jump. Since when did her mother cook this late? They must have been busy with the packing. She was glad they did her bedroom first, the room just as big as the one she had before. Her white dresser stood proud and strong by the window, a gentle breeze coming in from the open window. It was night time, obviously, and the cool air made her room a bit more welcoming. The house was stuffy, seeing as they just moved there. She probably had one of the best rooms in the house.

"I'm coming, Mom!" She called back, her voice cracking as she finished her sentence. Maybe she was getting sick. She shrugged it off, grabbing her salmon hairband off the dresser to tie her hair in it's usual ponytail. One of these days she would braid it, but not now. She was too lazy.

As she came downstairs, she was welcomed with the warm smell of mackerel and rice. It was probably the easiest thing to cook, and Chihiro loved fish. She came into the dining room, sitting down at the round table. Her parents were sitting closer to each other than her, so she said thanks and began eating. The mackerel was salty on her tongue, just like sweat.

"So how was your day, Chihiro? I heard you went to the river," her father spoke up, a goofy smile on his face. She nodded, swallowing hard as she tried to get the thought of sweat out of her head.

* * *

_"Haku...I like that name!" Chihiro finally felt at ease for a bit, watching the pale skin on Haku's face turn a slight shade of pink. It was actually cute. _

_ Haku took her hand again, kissing the ring finger. "May this protect you during your time here, Chihiro." The area where he kissed felt oddly cold, like a ring around her finger. A slight heaviness on her finger made her want to question again. But instead, she decided to give a kiss of her own. She puckered her lips up slightly and stood on her tip-toes, planting a soft and gentle kiss on Haku's forehead. _

_ "May that be a good luck charm!"_

* * *

"So what did you do Chihiro?" He mother asked.

Smiling to herself, the girl simply stated:

"I met a boy!"

** So was it better this time? I hope you guys like the idea I have...Oh, and Haku won't have an appearance for a few chapters...His character is so hard to write for...*Le sighs* I might be posting another fanfic soon, so please read it if I do!**

**Review and do that little thingy thing...f-something.**


	3. Chapter 3: The Bathhouse

** Thank you so much for reading my fanfiction! I'm sorry it took me so long to update. I promise I'll update sooner from now on. I had a bit of writer's block.**

** This is chapter three, and it's making me regret writing this. I really had to change my original outline around a bit since I discovered Human!NoFace. I really want to incorporate him in my story, but wasn't too sure how it would go down with all of you. I really hope you're okay with it, so I'll wait till the next chapter to add him. **

**Chapter 3: The Bathhouse**

In Chihiro's new town, a fancy bathhouse stood tall between the school and the mountains. Despite how small the town was, the bathhouse was always bustling with noise. Locals and tourists entered the grand baths to relax their nerves everyday. It was also the main place of employment for most in the town.

As Chihiro walked to school everyday, she always stopped to look across the bridge at the tall building. It mainly operated at night, but occasionally she would see someone walk inside or out. She would wonder how a bathhouse could stay open for such a long time and still allow their workers to rest. One of her classmates had said that her sister worked to clean the baths, and that she rarely got sleep.

When Chihiro walked back from school, people would be lighting the lanterns. The mere thought of working hard made Chihiro's stomach churn.

She went to Zeniba to ask about the place.

"I'm glad to see you again so soon. I wasn't expecting company, but I hope some cake will satisfy as refreshments." Zeniba placed a plate in front of her, the white frosting thick and creamy compared to the moist chocolate cake. A cup of black tea sat steaming next to the plate, complete with a teaspoon of sugar and a few drops of cream.

"Thanks, it looks good." Chihiro took her fork and cut a bite off the tip of the cake, closing her eyes to savor the taste of the cake in her mouth. "It's wonderful, Ma'am!" The cake almost made Chihiro forget why she was there.

"I heard Haku helped you out of the forest last time you came here." A wide grin graced Zeniba's wrinkled face. "Did he act like a gentleman around you or was his attitude stubborn as usual?" Chihiro giggled, thinking back to the boy with the bobbed hair.

"It was a mix of the two. He really did help me out though. I might not have been able to find my way back." She took a sip of her tea, the warmth pooling in her stomach. "I have a question about the bathhouse..."

Zeniba raised a brow, sipping her tea as well. "The bath house? My rotten sister runs that place like a sweat shop. What about it?"

"I want to know more about it. Like why it's still open even though there aren't many people here and why people go to work there even though it's tough."

"That bathhouse has been in business for two hundred years. It has been in my family since it was opened. It used to be a great place to work, it really was. Once my sister got her hands on the place, she forced everybody to sign contracts so they wouldn't leave. Those that work there are forced to work there for life. Worse, she makes them change their names. They work long hours and with little pay. My sister is a greedy person. Promise me you'll never go there."

"...I promise..."

**Sorry about the short chapter! I wanted to end it here, because I love cliffhangers. Next chapter I'll introduce Human!NoFace, unless you guys don't want me to. Again, sorry about how short the chapter is.**


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